Ukraine warns Africans about deceptive Russian recruitment
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Leadership
Ukraine’s ambassador to Nigeria, Ivan Kholostenko, warns that foreign nationals have gone missing after joining the Russian army, sometimes following deceptive job offers. He urges Nigerians and other Africans to exercise caution, while the Ukrainian humanitarian project “I Want to Find” receives enquiries from families in several countries, according to the ambassador.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Nigeria, Ivan Kholostenko, has warned Nigerians and other Africans about suspicious job offers in Russia that could lead to deceptive or forced military recruitment. In a statement, he said that more and more families were seeking to find relatives who had gone to Russia for work or signed a military contract, Leadership reports.
According to the ambassador, these families sometimes do not know whether their relatives are alive, prisoners or dead after being sent to the front in the war between Russia and Ukraine. The Ukrainian humanitarian project “I Want to Find” has received enquiries about nationals of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other countries.
Ivan Kholostenko says foreign recruits are assigned to dangerous assault operations, sometimes after limited military training. He also claims they are used to reveal Ukrainian firing positions or clear the way for other troops. These allegations could not be independently verified.
The ambassador also cites the Ukrainian initiative “I Want to Live”, according to which foreign nationals account for about one in ten prisoners of war held by Ukraine after serving in the Russian army. The prisoners concerned are said to come from 55 countries. Leadership had previously reported a Ukrainian warning to Nigerians about Russian military recruitment.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
